MICROFABRICATION TECHNOLOGY

The Microfabrication Technology Laboratory (MTL) provides engineering, prototyping, and production services that enable transition of differentiating semiconductor and microfabrication technologies for our owners, as well as our aerospace and defense customers. With over 25 years of microfabrication experience, MTL offers a fully equipped cleanroom facility and technical team with extensive process development and integration knowledge. MTL also collaborates with commercial customers to develop and prototype their emerging technologies and fulfill pilot production needs. Our team can transfer manufacturing sequences to our cleanroom for a low initial cost with flexible contracting and intellectual property terms and conditions.

The metals module provides fast, high-throughput metal stacks using e-beam evaporation and sputter deposition techniques. The module has defined processes for over 50 different materials including metals, composite metals, and dielectrics. New materials can be added for research and development. Our sputter processes include high-volume, multiple sputter target systems as well as small- chamber, single-wafer, confocal, or co-deposition sputtering using RF and DC magnetron capabilities. Multiple, 6-pocket e-beam evaporation systems in the module also provide quick- response metal stack processing for lift-off and planetary conformal deposition with holders that fit up to 150-mm wafer sizes.

HRL’s photolithography module provides many optical exposure solutions in the broadband and i-Line nodes. We offer thick and thin resist options for several applications including etch protection, metal lift off, and plating with aspect ratios up to 5:1. Capabilities include automated handling of 3-and 4-inch substrates and manual handling and processing for piece processing and substrates larger than 4-inches.

MTL focuses on development, demonstration, and maturation of world-class RF GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) devices and MMICs. MTL's GaN HEMTs have demonstrated superior high-frequency gain, noise figure, and power-added efficiency relative to all other available GaN MMIC foundry processes at millimeter-wave frequencies. MTL is seeking new opportunities to mature its GaN HEMT technologies and prepare them for system insertions.